1969 Dodge Charger - Hidden Treasures

Ask any car guy, whether they are a fan of Mopar or not, “what’s the first Mopar that comes to mind,” and they will probably say “a Dodge Charger.” The Charger has been an iconic muscle car since its introduction, and will probably continue to so long after we’re all gone.

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Carl Feaganes lives in Michigan, and tells us that for the last several years, he has been traveling to The Nats with some buddies who have been prodding him to buy his first Mopar. Well, it finally happened. Carl found this car while perusing the Interwebs, and decided to give the owner a call and see if he could buy it. He called the owner and discussed the car, and even though the owner told Carl to come look at the car, he also told him he wasn’t sure if he wanted to sell it. The gentleman had owned the car for around 24 years, and had gotten attached to it. He hadn’t been able to work on it in all that time, but he still wanted to keep it. The car was originally painted Y2 yellow, had bucket seats with a console, and an AM radio. Carl was given the opportunity to go look at the car, but after he made an offer, the owner was still hesitant, as he still wasn’t sure if he really wanted to sell it. Denied, Carl made the short drive home.

It’s a good thing for Carl that the drive was a short one, because two days later, he received a phone call telling him to come back and pick up his Charger. Apparently, the owner realized that he would never be able to rebuild the car, so Carl should have the chance.

Once Carl got the car loaded up on the trailer and taken home, he started to take a good look at his new project. The Charger started life with a 375hp single four barrel 440 under the hood, mated to a 727. At some point, the engine had been yanked by the original owner when a noise was heard. So the engine was torn down, and the machine work done. It’s at this time, that the rebuild stopped, as the original owner was given the opportunity to spend a few years at the Graybar Hotel. The engine never got rebuilt or reinstalled into the car. This is when the gentleman that Carl bought the car from gained possession.

Like we said, it rested for 24 years until Carl was given the chance to convince the gentleman (second owner), to sell it. When the trunk was finally opened, Carl found the parts that were originally removed from the engine.

It might take Carl a few years, but he plans to completely restore this 30,000 mile car, and you can bet that his buddies will continue to persuade him to get it done.

6/6<strong>Engine:</strong> Machined and ready to go? Carl will probably have it checked.

Do you have a Mopar you’d like to see in the Hidden Treasures column of Mopar Muscle?

We’re always looking for cool and unusual cars to feature in this section of the magazine, so be sure to send them in. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Slant-Six–powered truck, ’50s finned car, or a Hemi-powered E-Body, our readers will love to hear about it. Submit your photos and stories electronically to mopar.muscle@sorc.com, or by snail mail to Mopar Muscle Hidden Treasures, 9036 Brittany Way, Tampa, FL 33619.